The Touch of the Innocent
by Luna the sheikah
Summary: (One-Shot) He had never meant for the girl to see the penance he carried for his miscalculation. And for a moment, a twinge of guilt pulled at his cold heart, but dissipated as just as quickly.


****

Luna: I came up with this one night lying in bed, trying lull myself to sleep by thinking of a story in my head. I know, I'm pathetic, but I liked the idea. So I decided to get off my lazy butt and type it!

Jareth: This is a one-shot.

Luna: Let me guess, because of that mistake in chapter 16 of Frozen, you're in all my beginning notes aren't you?

Jareth: Once again, it was not my fault.

Luna: Oh go eat radioactive jellybeans and die already…((grumbles))

Disclaimer: If for every time I released a fanfiction and used a disclaimer, I earned five dollars, I'd be filthy stinking rich. So no, I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

The Touch of the Innocent

* * *

The light pink petals swirled in a lazy dance upon the wind, twirling playfully through the air. A young child perhaps eight or nine years of age giggled as she outstretched her grubby hands toward the sakura blossoms. Leaping up, she tried to catch them but only succeeded in falling backwards and injuring herself. But none the less, the human girl ran around the large field of flowers, the wind toying with her long brown locks and making her cheeks rosy with delight.

" Jakken-sama!" The young girl cried as she hastily moved away from the toad youkai, trying her hardest not to ram into him.

" Rin! Watch where you're going!" He growled at her, waving his staff around in the air.

Rin look apologetic for a moment, but the feather like touch of a petal upon her nose alerted her of her original goal and she continued to run after the elusive cherry blossoms.

Jakken sighed and rolled his bulbous eyes heavenward, earning a petal in his eye for his sarcastic movement. Crying out in surprise and in pain, he ran around in circles panicking as if embers of a fire were the intrusions of his sight instead of a flower. Rin turned and stifled a giggle before placing her hands on his narrow shoulders and making him calm down.

" Daijabou ka, Jakken-sama?" Her large eyes worried, reminding him of how she had saved his life a few weeks before, braving the dangers of a valley to retrieve the 100 year old herb to cure his infection of the saimyoshou poison.

Looking flustered for a moment, he hastily rubbed his eyes and pushed Rin away. Crossing his arms over his chest, he huffed in annoyance. But the young girl merely smiled and laughed, before running toward a large cluster of lily colored flowers.

Rin hummed a tune underneath her breath as she gingerly picked the flowers from the earth, gathering them into a tiny bouquet in her small hands. Standing up, she brushed the dirt from the front of her kimono and turned, watching the wind play with the silver hair of her lord.

A large grin spread across her face and she ran toward him, before looking up, waiting for him to notice her.

* * *

Sesshomaru gazed out impassively into the distance, the bright colors of the fading sunlight searing across the once ocean colored skies. The warm tones of the sunset made shadows on the rocky walls in the valley below. Hearing the crunch of feet behind him, he let the wind carry the person's scent toward him.

Rin.

Turning his head, his harsh gold eyes settled upon her dirtied form. Her eyes lit up as he gazed at her and she stood upon the tips of her toes, the offering of wildflowers waiting to be accepted.

His clawed hand slowly took the plants from her grasp and she smiled. He still didn't understand why she always smiled at him. He had concluded long ago that humans were over emotional creatures that let their petty feelings become obstacles that made it harder to reach their goals. That was what made humans' weak in his eyes, and to be weak meant that you were worthless and better off dead.

But Rin was human, and yet he had revived her from the chains of death. Saved her from never being able to live out the rest of her short lived and pathetic existence. Turning away from her, he continued to watch the sun slide away beneath the horizon.

And Rin merely stood there, watching the sunset alongside him in content silence.

* * *

It was happening again. The fierce throbbing of what remained of his left arm. His eyes narrowed in annoyance in the darkness of the night as a cold breeze filtered through the air. The season was changing once again. The never-ending cycle.

It twinged again, more insistent, the fire shooting up and taking hold of his heart, squeezing it. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, blatantly trying to ignore the pain. Cursing his insolent half-breed brother for this nuisance, a nuisance that would not heal for another two centuries at an estimate. A deep growl emitted from his throat making Ah Uhn's ears twitch for a moment.

The pain didn't fade away like normal, it continued to grow more intense as if making him relive the moment when the sharp edge of Tetsaiga dug through his flesh. When it cracked the bone and broke through it. When he stood there clenching his teeth as he watched pools of crimson blood drip from his body, the physical shock numbing him from the utter pain that was making his vision hazy at the edges.

Sesshomaru stood, carefully making his way around the tiny dying fire that Rin slept beside, her arms wrapped about her body, securing her warmth. He gazed upon her sleeping form for a moment before turning away and maneuvering into a deeper part of the forest.

* * *

Rin felt herself fall out of the comforting embrace of her dreams as she felt the familiar heat of the fire wither away to miniscule ashes. Sitting up, she blearily rubbed her eyes, debating whether or not to seek out more kindle or tough out the cold until morning. It was then that the young girl surveyed the area around her. Someone was missing.

Her eyes widened as she noticed the empty space where the Inu youkai had been residing when she had fallen asleep. Jakken was sleeping peacefully, mumbling something incoherent now and again. He would have been alert if he had known that Sesshomaru was gone.

Standing, she briefly brushed off the front of her kimono and looked around for where he might be. Deciding to search for him while gathering more kindle, she slid into the shadows of the forest, following the light imprinted steps of where he had been walking moments before.

* * *

Sitting on a log, he ignored the urge wince as the throbbing made one final notice of it's existence before slowly fading away, making him silently breathe a sigh of relief. Gingerly, he slid the left shoulder of his kimono off, gazing at his left arm. It looked normal, as normal as it could be without it's adjoining limb.

A crunch of leaves and a slight feminine gasp made his eyes flare red for a moment, turning he felt his demonic energy fade as he gazed upon whom had seen him.

It was Rin again, why wasn't she asleep like most pathetic humans were at this time of night? His eyes slid from her shocked expression to the tiny bundle of sticks in her arms. Apparently, she too had noticed that her fire at gone out. It was then that he realized where her line of sight was directed.

At his left arm.

Sesshomaru gazed emotionlessly at her face, his amber gaze boring holes into her flesh. He didn't move, merely waited for her reaction. She was merely a stupid human girl; she would both look disgusted and scream or run away from the grotesque sight without a word. He had never meant for the girl to see the penance he carried for his miscalculation. And for a moment, a twinge of guilt pulled at his cold heart, but dissipated as just as quickly.

And so he waited.

* * *

But she did neither. Rin dropped her kindle and ran toward him, worry etched on her face as she knelt before him, gazing concernedly at his arm. Gingerly, she reached toward it, her fingers outstretched when she stopped. Looking up at him, she noticed that he wasn't even looking at her.

Licking her lips, she let her small fingers trail against the skin before removing it abruptly and pressing her tiny fist against her heart. Her brown eyes wandered over his injury before biting her bottom lip. Again, her hand raised up and she pressed her fingers against it. She pulled away as she heard a nearly inaudible hiss from her lord.

" Does it hurt?" Rin looked up at him, her face worried.

" No." He answered as he started to pull the sleeve back over his shoulder; her tiny hands stopped him. Looking down, he narrowed his eyes. She gulped before gently pressing her hands against his own, silently bidding him to wait.

He let the sleeve fall and removed his hand from the cloth, letting it fist as his side. Rin gazed at the sleeve before gazing up at his face.

" Sesshomaru-sama…there are cuts in it."

The demon lord silently cursed himself for gripping the fabric too hard. His nails had cut into the fabric; they would have to make their way back to the castle for it to be repaired again. Something cool pressed again his left arm, forcing him out of his reverie.

Rin had moved to the stream a few yards back while he was pondering and had wet a piece of her kimono. He noticed with interest that she had ripped the piece of cloth off first, and was holding it gingerly against his arm.

" Your skin is red there…" She trailed off, knowing that if she asked about his health he would either not answer her or deny his pain. Rin knew she was very young, but it didn't take a genius to realize that her lord was a very proud person. He would rather die then have to admit being weak enough to feel pain.

Pulling the cloth away, she smiled slightly at her handy work. The throbbing had died and the enflamed red hue of his skin dissipated the moment she had placed the compress on his arm. Gazing up at him, she noticed the tiny amount of slight apprehension in his eyes. Rin furrowed her brows in confusion as she wrung out the piece of cloth and tied it around her wrist.

Maybe it still hurt after all…no that wasn't it. The redness had disappeared and he didn't seem to be in any pain. Rin stared at the fallen sleeve that rested on the log; maybe he was scared of her?

But she knew as well as anyone that he didn't like humans at all and could easily destroy them. Even so, why did he look nervous? He never showed emotion, at least to the untrained eye. But she had traveled with him so long that she could tell his moods, despite her young age and his ability to hide them.

  
It was then that she remembered something, something she hadn't even considered to matter for months, her past.

* * *

_" Mou Rin-Chan, you shouldn't run around like that. See what happened?" Her mother gestured to the bleeding scratch on her right knee. Rin merely nodded in agreement, tears running down her face._

_" But…"_

_ " But nothing, you could have hurt yourself badly if it wasn't for the grass at the base of the ravine." The woman gave her daughter a pointed glare and Rin dropped her gaze to the floor._

_ Wincing as cool water was pressed upon her wounded knee, she watched in fascination as her mother removed the reddening piece of cloth. Another scrap of linen was carefully tied about her leg, as her mother tied it, she smiled._

_" All better."_

* * *

Sesshomaru raised a brow at the abnormally silent child as she gazed unfocused at his sleeve. She blinked in confusion for a moment before gazing up at her lord. And she smiled again; he merely gazed at her wondering when she'd begin to realize what she had done and escape screaming in terror.

But she didn't.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as she turned, her eyes looking up at him in a reassuring fashion. Slightly suspicious, he willed his emotional mask to stay in place. Still wondering what in the name of Jakken she was up to, he blinked in surprise at her next action.

* * *

Rin kissed the remainder of his left arm.

-Owari-


End file.
